The present invention relates to a barbecue accessory, and more particularly to an expansion sleeve which may be releasably secured to the base of a conventional gas or other type barbecue for expanding the cooking chamber of the barbecue.
Barbecues for cooking foods in the out-of-doors, and particularly for preparing foods by grilling, roasting and the like, are in common use today. They usually have a base in which charcoal, charcoal briquettes and the like are burned, or in which a propane gas burner is situated. This base also supports a grill within and, often, a hood on cover. The hoods or covers of such barbecues may be secured to the base by releasable hinge mechanisms to pivot between open and closed positions, or may be simply supported on the base. When the cover is in open position, access to the grill is provided. When it is in closed position, a cooking chamber is enclosed over the grill, so that food which is grilled or turned on a rotisserie within this cooking chamber may be cooked in an oven-like environment.
Of background interest to the present invention are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,389,696 of Lake issued June 25, 1968 and 3,791,370 of Fauser issued Feb. 12, 1974, and Canadian Pat. Nos. 739,733 of Mell issued Aug. 2, 1966, and 978,043 of Tomlin issued Nov. 18, 1975. These patents all describe and illustrate different types of outdoor grills and barbecues for cooking food. Both the Lake and Fauser devices feature hoods which provide oven-like cooking chambers when the hoods are in closed position. Canadian Pat. No. 1,198,642 of Vaughan issued Dec. 31, 1985 describes and illustrates a structure for supporting a rotisserie or shish kabob accessory over a spit or electric heating element.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device which can fit conventional gas or charcoal outdoor barbecues of the type in question. It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a device which is adjustable to suit different sizes of barbecues.